American Karol Sue Reddington, who has just joined the faculty of the Dunbarton School of Music, brings to Bermuda one of the most impressive musical backgrounds the Island has seen in a long time.

While she specialises in teaching piano, harpsichord and organ, her list of credits on the performing circuit also fills several pages of her impressive -- and lengthy -- resume.

Presently putting the finishing touches to her doctorate thesis, she has already published numerous articles on music and is listed in the US's "Who's Who of the World of Women'' and in the "Community Leaders of America.'' She is the recipient of the Award of Merit by the National Federation of Music Clubs and a National Music Honorary for Pi Kappa Lambda.

Bermuda will soon have the opportunity of hearing Ms Reddington in concert.

"It's still in the planning stages,'' she says, "but I'm hoping to do a recital of traditional and some 20th century works.'' As a specialist in late 20th century music, she admits that "some of it needs a special introduction. Stravinsky or Bartok are easier for people to deal with, but when I play later composers, I always like to step aside from the piano to give the audience some information to pique their interest. And that seems to work very well!'' Her career, while firmly based in the US, has also taken her to France, Italy, Iceland, Jamaica and to Hong Kong where, for the past year, she has headed the 14-strong piano faculty at the leading music institution, the Hong Kong Baptist College. While there, she was an examiner for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, based in London.

Although Ms Reddington gives master classes in piano and has acted as concerto competition coach and orchestral pianist for the famed World Piano Competition in Cincinnati, she says she loves teaching at all levels.

"I've always found great fulfilment and energy in teaching children of all ages. I would like to see students at the Dunbarton School be exposed to an expanded repertoire, with perhaps special emphasis on 20th century composers as this area of music fascinates me very much, '' she explains. "But,'' she goes on, "the most rewarding thing about teaching is to suddenly see that light in the eyes, and how they start shining because they've suddenly caught the connection of what you are trying to teach them!'' So much so, apparently, that many of America's up-and-coming young composers have entrusted their compositions to Ms Reddington's accomplished fingers for their premier performances.

As a former teacher and director of the piano laboratory for the Cincinnati School System which operates through the University of Cincinnati, Ms Reddington has devoted much of her time obtaining grants and funding for gifted inner city children who are deprived of the resources available to more affluent students. Many of her students, she says, with more than a hint of pride, have won state and regional competitions in the US.

A doctoral candidate at the Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, whose graduates include Kathleen Battle and the Metropolitan Opera's James Levine (and students include Bermuda's own Marcelle Clamens), Ms Reddington has completed all her examinations.

"Now I'm just finishing off my thesis which is on the keyboard works of Jonathan Kramer, a contemporary composer who is also the chairman of the composition and theory department at Columbia University and was the president of the International Rostrum of Composers which meets in Paris and Poland. His works have been recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra -- and I have performed some of the premiers of his works as well.'' Obviously a lady of formidable intellect, Ms Reddington goes on to explain that this scholarly work will also delve into the correlation of his works with information theory, quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity.

"This is exciting for me,'' she smiles, "because I've been able to concentrate on the area of theoretical physics. Having had a background in mathematics and pre-med work, I've always been fascinated by the connection between the scientific world and the arts. Much of the personal history of scientists and musicians has shown that there is a big cross-over.'' As if all this information is not enough to digest, the slightly-built musician reveals that she almost became a dancer instead of a musician, who studied classical ballet and took minors in dance at university.

"I've also worked with modern dance figures such as Merce Cunningham. In fact, I might have done that as a career, if it hadn't been for parental pressure. I grew up in the northwest, but we moved around a lot as a family, so I was fortunate enough to be able to study with some of the best teachers in various fields.'' Those teachers include Eugene Pridonoff and James Tocco at the University of Cincinnati and Soulima Stravinsky (son of Igor) for piano, Eiji Hashimoto for the harpsichord (who has just recorded all the Scarlatti sonatas) and Jerald Hamilton and Marcel Dupres for the organ.

"I've also been working with Malcolm Bilson who is world-famous as a performer on the forte piano.'' Performance-wise, some of her accomplishments include appearances at the International Arts Festival of Iceland, numerous recitals in Hong Kong and in Fontainebleau, France, where she performed several world premieres, and in Halle, Germany, where she performed the world premiere of Jonathan Stahlke's "Lamentation.'' She has also been the harpsichordist in the Brandenburg Concerto V and the soloist in Mozart's Concerto in A major, both for the Terre Haute Symphony in Indiana. Additionally, she has performed on national public radio, and worked extensively with the Tokyo String Quartet, and the Ensemble Contemporain de France.

Asked if she had a favourite composer, Ms Reddington gives the classic reply: "The composer I'm performing at the moment! Because every one of them is challenging, exciting, spiritual and soulful.'' After a moment, however, she admits, "I find the music of Brahms is like brown velvet! His 2nd Piano Concerto, in terms of sonority, is the most exquisite piece of music.'' In 1993, Ms Reddington was also accorded the considerable honour of being chosen to participate in the Institute for Advanced Vocal Studies at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris.

"This was a wonderful experience,'' she says, "when I spent six weeks working with seven vocal artists and three piano artists selected from all over the world and we studied French `melodie' with two famous singers -- Bernard Kruyssen from the Netherlands and Anne Marie Rodde, who is one of the prima singers at the Paris Opera -- and then we performed at the famous Ecole.'' She also lets drop the fact that she studied violin for 12 years and, yes, she was good enough to play in several prestigious orchestras throughout the US -- "but my violin is in storage at the moment!'' Of Welsh, Czech and German extraction, Karol Sue Reddington believes she inherited her love of music from her mother who, she says, was a wonderful amateur musician.

A Dunbarton School of Music Faculty Concert, in which Ms Reddington will take part, is slated for Saturday, November 27 at St. John's Church at 7 p.m.

NEW PIANIST -- Karol Sue Reddington, just arrived to teach piano, harpsichord and organ for the Dunbarton School of Music, is pictured at St. John's Church.